Udovicic: IOC accepted Kosovo under unclear criteria

LUCANI - Serbia's Minister of Youth and Sport Vanja Udovicic has said that the decision to accept Kosovo as a full member of the Internationa Olympic Committee (IOC) was very difficult for Serbia to accept.

The IOC granted full recognition to Kosovo at a session in Monaco on December 9, which makes it possible for athletes from Kosovo to compete at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro in 2016.

The IOC made the decision based on unclear criteria, Udovicic underscored, adding that he was concerned for the future of international sport because of such a precedent.

This decision raises the question of what is going to happen now, that is who and on what bases will accept new members into the IOC, he said in Lucani on Thursday.

Kosovo's membership in the IOC represents direct involvement of politics in sport, despite Serbia's efforts to remove politics from it and make it independent of all outside influence.

The government and Ministry of Youth and Sport will do everything to ensure no incidents happen at future events where athletes from Belgrade and Pristina might end up facing each other, he noted.

Photo Tanjug Video